Fish feeding device



jatented ct'. 16, 1934 'i 1,976,962 n FISH FEEDING DEVICE yHermairi G. Pape, deceased, late of New York, N. Y., byida B. Pape administratrix, New York, N. Y.

Aepiicaemi'anuary 12, i933, seriaiNo. 651,318

claims. (ci. 11e-52) This invention relates to fish food dispensing devices and particularly to-such as are adapted for use in aquariums, tanks, pools, etc., and is a continuation in part of an application led August 14, 1931, by Herman G. Pape, (now deceased) for Fish'feed trough, Serial No. 557,074. I One of the diiculties in feeding iish hitherto encountered is, that the dry aky food commonly used, after becoming saturated. when dispensed within such bodies of Water, sinks to the bottom where it is notr easily obtained by the sh and decomposes or rots, producinga lthy, malodorous mass diiicult to cleanse from the floor of the aquarium, tank, pool or the'like. This condition is particularly aggravated if the iioor is covered with gravel, growing plants, or other foreign things, rendering it substantially impossible to thoroughly cleanse the interior of the food refuse. f y

'It isalso -very desirable that certain foods be well Watersoaked before being consumed by the iish;v that .the food be readily accessible toy the fish, and that the food be conserved against loss and waste.y f Y It istherefore one of the objects of the present inventionto provide a fish feeding device which is, .especially well suited to household` aquariums as well as to larger aquariums, tanks, pools, and the like, and a sh feeding device which insures thatthe vfood will v'be well soaked before being consumed; .permits the ish tohave ready and easy access thereto; and keeps the food away from the bottom of the aquarium `and from foreign ,objects therein; conserves the food against loss and waste, and may be replenished with Icod easily and conveniently.

A further feature is in the provision of a fish.. l

feedingV devicel of the character described having allparts, edges, corners, etc., jointed, rounded or smooth finished, so as Vto protectthe fish, particularly their delicate-hns, veil tails, extended feelers,'-and the like, against sulering injury' when coming in contact withthe device.

f A further feature is in the provision of food receiving'means for guiding the food in such manner-gthatjit will positivelyenter affeed trough' Without loss or Waste and insuring theY soaking plicity,v attractive appearance, lasting quality,` and moderate cost of construction, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In accordance with this invention the device includes a feed trough so shaped as to positively conne food therein against being washed out by the normal water turbulence caused by the sh or by the natural water currents, and pre'- ventingany food Yfrom settling on the bottom of an aquarium or pool in which the trough is submerged, while at the same time 'permitting the fish to feed readily and conveniently from the trough, in combination with a conduit, such as a tube, extending from above the Water level all the way into and joining the trough, so that food inserted into the upper end of the tube will be conducted positively all the way into the trough and will have been well soaked in the meantime. Any suitable means, such as feet on the trough, or an'attachment device on the tube adapted to engage a Wall of the aquarium, may be provided 75 to support the device `in proper position in the aquarium, pool, or the like, preferably with the upper end of the tube'disposed above the water level and distended to permit food to be supplied easily and conveniently without disturbing the device in any way.

In order that a clearer understanding of this invention may be had attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, and illustrating certain possible embodiments of this invention, and in which:-

Fig. 1 isa fragmentary sectional view taken on the line l-v-l of Fig. 2 oi a conventional type of aquarium partially filled with Water, and having a iish feeding device embodying this invention in place therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional'view thereof and is taken partslthroughout the several views of the drawing. i

water currents,`but not so high or curved rela'` tive to the diameter of the bowl as to interfere with the fishhaving free access to the food therein or feeding freely therefrom: Preferably the bottom of the bowl basa raised portion 3 at the center, which serves to spread the food so that it will bemore readily accessible to the ish thanV tends to prevent the food from being washed out of the bowl, particularly in combination with the 5 curved inturned side 1.

A feed tube 4 is secured to one side of the bowl by any suitable means appropriate for the materials of whichy the bowl and tube arev made, for

. instance rivetsl 5. Tube 4 extends upwardly yfrom i the trough to above the level of the wateninthe,

aquarium in which the device is disposed. The device may be supported in position by a pliable wire 7 secured at one end to the tube 4 and bent over and engaging the top of a side wallof @the l l aquarium. The upper end of the tube is prefer-- ably flared, as at 9, to facilitateA the introduction of the fish food, and the lowerend of the"tube may be cut or formed to have -an openingbiased toward and extending into the bowl. ,If desired,` spacer knobs or studs l0, may be secured tothe trough on `opposite sides oi the tube juncture, as by riveting, as shown, which keep the trough some distance from the aquarium wall, keep the tube and ,trough level` and steady the device `against swinging or moving about in the water, and thus helping to maintain thefood in the trough, `since if the'itrough were tilted or if the device wereto swing ror move in the water the food wouldbe more likely to `wash or fallout of the trough and settle 3o tothe bottom of the aquarium. The spacers also thejoint tend ltorelieve the strain somewhat on between the tube and trough. 1

The pliable wire .'7 permits `the positioning of the device at various levels, as desired, and the 351 placement .of the troughat ,the desired heightv relative tothe 'bottom l1 of the aquarium and to `the objects 12, suchas sand, gravel, plants, etc., in the aquarium. 1

The feedingdevice shown in Fig. 3,.has a bowlflo 'shaped trough 20 havingva bottom.21 provided with feetk 22 whereby the trough is supported above the bottom 11 Aof ,the aquarium. AThe, trough has a curved and VinturnedV food-coniining side 23 and a raised .portion 24 at theV center of.

" thebottom to which the lower end of a feed tube 25 is secured. Tube 25 extends upwardly to above the water level, indicated at 26, and its ,top 27 is distended to facilitate :introduction of food.

There are openings 28 at or ladjacent the lower tcendof the tube and within the confines of the trough, so that .food fed into the top of the tube will rst bewell soaked while passing to the openings v28 and then will be positively and directly deposited within the trough ,20.l The tube' at` the center of the bowl co-operates with the sides of the bowl in preventing water; currents and eddies from washing food Vfrom the trough, being functionally similarin this respect to the co-operation between the sidesof the trough ilse lustrated in Fig. 1, and the raisedoenter portion 3 of that trough. A

Thetube 27,5 and feet 22-may be securedto ythe ltand-.the spacers 10 to the bowl of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. `Alsoit maybe perfectlyr possible and satisfactory to makegeither form To j of the device, which forms have been shown merely. for the purpose of illustration, or other forms'oi devices embodyingthis invention, in'y one'piece,A

or in several piecesvsecured together, for instance n ceramic ware, glass, pyroxylin ware', etc., :it

." f being distinctly. understood-that this .invention is not limited to any specific material or to the number of pieces employed in the kconstruction or any specific means of securing such pieces together. Preferably however, the tube and trough should be opaque or semi-opaque so that the fish will see them clearly and will not be so apt to dash into them when swimming or when rushing about or vbecoming -frightened and 'seeking to escape.

Although the improvements have been de- .Scribedwith considerable detail and with respect to certain particular forms of the invention it is not desired to be limited to such details since many changes and modifications may well be vmade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspect.

"Having, thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A fish feeding device of the character described and comprising a unitary article adapted to be used in a household aquarumand including a feedt-rough portion having `a bottom and provided. With inea-ns. comprising an upwardly and inwardly lcurvedperipheral wall, preventing iish .food from being Washedout of lthe ,trough by the normal water ,turbulence in the aquarium, the Vbottom :of ther 4trough' portionbeing wideV relative to the height ofsaid .wall and affording the Sh in the aquarium ready access to food in said trough portion, anda feed tube portion .extendingupWardly from said ltrough portion, secured at. its lower end to said .trough portion ,and relatively long, Ythe upper end of saidtube portion being adapted to Vbe .above .the surface .of the water in the aquarium,` and .an opening at .the

lowerend-of said tube portion and having a ,side-- wise aspectxthereto and .discharging `directly into said trough portion.

2. A i'lsh feeding device of the character de.- scribed and .comprisinga unitary-article .adapted to ,be .used ina household:aquarium and including a feed trough portion having abottom and provided with means, comprising an upwardly and inwardly curved peripheral wall, preventing sh food from being washed out/of the trough by the normal ,water turbulence in the aquarium, the bottom of the trough portion being wide rela-.- tive to the height of said wall and affording the iish in the aquarium ready access to food .in said `trough portion, and a feed tube portion ex.- tending `.upwardly from said trough portion and having an obliquely cut open lower extremity disposed over the :bottom of the trough, vthe lower edge Aof said tube portion extremity being secured to said trough wall, whereby fish food flowing down through said tubeis discharged directly into said food trough portion.

3. A fish feeding device of the character Ydescribed and comprising a unitary article adapted to be used in a household aquarium and including a feed trough portion having a bottom and provided with means, comprising an upwardly and inwardly curved peripheral wall, preventing fish food from being `washed out of the trough by the normalwater turbulencein the aquarium, the

bottom of the trough'portionfbeing wide rela' tive VVto theheightof said'wall and affording the,

iish'in the aquarium readyaccess to food in said trough portion, and a feed tube portion extendingy v of said tube portionY extremity being secured to said trough wall, wherebyiish food owing down throughsaidtubeis discharged directly into said food trough portion, said trough bottom having a central raised portion whereby the fish food delivered by said tube portion is caused to be lspread about the bottom of the trough portion.

4. A fish feeding device of the character described and comprising a unitary article adapted to be used in a household aquarium and including a feed trough portion having a bottom and provided with means, comprising an upwardly and inwardly curved` peripheral wall, preventing iish food from being washed out of the trough by the normal water turbulence in the aquarium, the bottom of the trough portion being wide relative to the height of said wall and aording the fish in the aquarium ready access to food in said trough portion, and a feed tube portion extending upwardly from said trough portion and having an obliquely cut open lower extremity disposed over the bottom of the trough, the lower edge of said tube portion extremity being secured to said trough wall, whereby fish food flowing down through said tube is discharged directly into'said food trough portion, and means, comprising members on and protruding side-wise from the food trough portion and adapted to engage a side of an aquarium against which the device is disposed, whereby the feed trough portion is steadied against being swayed by the normal water turbulence in the aquarium, and the washing of food out of the trough portion by such swaying of the trough is prevented.

5. A fish feeding device of the character described and comprising a unitary article adapted to be used in a household aquarium and including a feed trough portion having a bottom and provided with means, comprising an upwardly and inwardly curved peripheral wall, preventing fish food from being washed out of the trough by the normal water turbulence in the aquarium, the bottom of the trough portion being wide relative to the height of said wall and affording the fish in the aquarium ready access to food in said trough portion, and a feed tube portion extending upwardly from said trough portion and having an obliquely cut open lower extremity disposed over the bottom of the trough, the lower edge of said tube portion extremity being secured to said trough wall, whereby fish food flowing down through said tube is discharged directly into said food trough portion, said trough bottom having a central raised portion whereby the sh food delivered by said tube portion is caused to be spread about the bottom of the trough portion, and means, comprising members on and protruding side-wise from the food trough portion and adapted to engage a side of an aquarium against which the device is disposed, whereby the feed trough portion is steadied against being swayed by the normal water turbulence in the aquarium, and the washing of food out of the trough portion by such swaying of the trough is prevented.

IDA B. PAPE, Administratrz' of Herman G. Pape, Deceased. 

